Felix+Zhou



"My name is Bond, Ionic Bond: Taken, not shared"

#10 - How does acupuncture work? Scientists find molecule that likely plays a large role. The article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100530144021.htm  I've always been interested in how acupuncture works, and how it could be explained by science. It always seemed to me that it worked because of the placebo effect. A paper published by a group from the University of Rochester Medical Center disagrees; they say they've pinpointed a molecule that is responsible for the benefits of acupuncture. They've even managed to triple the effects of acupuncture using the data from the study.

The molecule in question is adenosine. Adenosine is a natural compound that helps regulate sleep, benefits the heart, and has anti-inflammatory properties. Another useful property is its ability to act as a painkiller; adenosine activates in the skin after an injury to restrict nerve signals and lessen pain. The scientists from the University of Rochester Medical Center discovered that acupuncture triggers adenosine in deep tissues. They say acupuncture causes the brain to send out pain-killing endorphins.



 Acupuncture has been traced back as far as Antiquity, in China. It quickly spread to other parts of the world and remains a popular, yet controversial treatment for things like abdominal distention, arthritis, headaches, muscle spasms, and many more. The team used acupuncture on mice and found a relation between the level of adenosine and comfort in the mice. Using this knowledge they studied the effects of a drug called deoxycoformycin, which helps keep adenosine in the tissue. They found that the drug tripled the effects of acupuncture, again supporting their theory that adenosine is triggered during acupuncture and is responsible for some of the benefits.

References: (2010, May 31). Acupuncture's molecular effects pinned down: New insights spur effort to boost treatment's impact significantly. //ScienceDaily//. Retrieved May 31, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/05/100530144021.htm

#9 - New study indicates BPA is harmful to pregnant women. The article: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/59372/title/Exposure_of_moms-to-be_to_hormone-mimicking_chemical_may_affect_kids_years_later

 CAS number : 80-05-7

At first glance I didn't understand why the results of this study was worthy of an article. The study (done on rodents) showed that BPA (bisphenol A) can possibly lead to "gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes and even cardiovascular disease associated with metabolic syndrome". So what, right? BPA just sounds like another chemical that's been found to be dangerous or carcinogenic. However I soon found out that BPA is used to make many plastics, especialy polycarbonate plastic. Polycarbonate plastic is used to make common products such as water bottles, dental fillings, medical and dental devices, DVDs, etc. It could be devastating if BPA was found to be as dangerous as the studies show.

As stated above, BPA was shown to cause metabolic syndrome. Some symptoms of metabolic syndrome include "elevated blood pressure, higher levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and increases in the length of time fats circulate in the blood". In the study lead by Angel Nadal of Miguel Hernández University, they found that just 1/5 of the estimated "safe" dose (as suggested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) can cause impaired blood-glucose regulation. After four months, mother mice that were exposed to BPA were 6% heavier than unexposed mice, leading researchers to believe their metabolism had been slowed. The male offspring of BPA exposed mother mice were born healthy, but developed prediabetic changes at 6 months of age, which is about equal to 35 human years.

In 2008, Health Canada released a statement saying “bisphenol A exposure to newborns and infants is below levels that cause effects” and that the “general public need not be concerned”, but don't be too surprised if they retract that claim after more research is done on the effects of BPA.

References: Raloff, J. (2010, May 19). Exposure of moms-to-be to hormone-mimicking chemical may affect kids years later. //ScienceNews//, Retrieved from http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/59372/title/Exposure_of_moms-to-be_to_hormone-mimicking_chemical_may_affect_kids_years_later

 The article: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/59035/title/FOR_KIDS_The_mercury_in_that_tuna  We've all heard how healthy fish is, and how fish can also contain mercury, which is a neurotoxic element that is dangerous to human beings. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recommends people to avoid fish that contain more than 0.5 parts per million of mercury. While you may think they are being overly cautious, repeated ingestion of even extremely small amounts of mercury over a long period of time can lead to heart or nervous-system disease.
 * 1) 8 - Mercury levels in different varieties of fish and shellfish.

As of now, there is no clear, definitive policy that informs people of how much mercury they can consume, and where it comes. In June 2010, however, experts on the subject will gather in Stockholm, Sweden, and write up a world policy for mercury and the allowable limits.

For now, if you want to reap the benefits of fish and avoid the dangers of mercury, here's a table to help you out. This table organizes fish and shellfish into groups based on their mercury levels, from low (healthy) to high (dangerous and unhealthy).



References: Ornes, S. (2010, May 10). The Mercury in that tuna. //ScienceNews//, Retrieved from http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/59035/title/FOR_KIDS_The_mercury_in_that_tuna

#7 - Newly created solar cells could be energy source of the future. The article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100406125545.htm

A team led by Professor Benoît Marsan from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Chemistry Department have solved two major problems when it comes to creating solar cells. This is a momentous discovery because prior to this discovery, solar energy's potential has remained unrealized. Our planet takes a full year to consume the amount of solar energy the Earth receives in an hour. However, because solar cells were inefficient and expensive, this great potential has not been tapped.

One solar cell design that had great potential was the Graetzel solar cell; most materials required to make them were inexpensive, easily-made, and flexible. Unfortunately two major problems existed that prevented them from being produced on a large-scale. The two problems lie in the electrolyte (which is the liquid conductor for the cell) and the cathode. The electrolyte corroded easily, was densely coloured, and limited the device's photovoltage, while the cathode's covering is made of platinum (a rare and expensive material).

Professor Marsan's solution? He and his team have created a gel/liquid made from new molecules that is transparent,non-corrosive and that can increase the photovoltage. They have also found a suitable replacement for the platinum; cobalt sulphide. It is less expensive and easier to produce in the laboratory. Both these innovations help improve the solar cell's output, durability, and cost to produce.

References: Université du Québec à Montréal (2010, April 6). Inexpensive highly efficient solar cells possible. //ScienceDaily//. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from [|http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/04/100406125545.htm]

#6 - New Element 117 is synthesized. The article: <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 90%;">[]_

Physicists (yep, not chemists) have synthesized a "superheavy" element called element 117. They smashed together calcium 48 and berkelium-249; they resulted in two isotopes that had 117 protons. This discovery fills another space in the periodic table, between element 116 and element 118, which have already been discovered. So far the name for this element is ununseptium, although it will be given a proper name in time. Researchers say that comparing how both elements decay will help them understand the characteristics of heavy elements like element 117.

References: Witze, A. (2010, April 6). Superheavy element 117 makes debut. //ScienceNews//, Retrieved from []_

<span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #00ffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 180%;">#5 - LHC yields first collisions. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 80%;">The article: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/57786/title/LHC_revs_up

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">I read Angels and Demons a while ago, and in it they mentioned a machine called the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In the novel scientists used it and produced antimatter. Although the novel dramatized this new technology a lot, I learned that the LHC is indeed real. The Large Hadron Collider was built at the physics laboratory at CERN, located near Geneva, Switzerland.

The LHC sent two 3.5 trillion electron volt beams head-on, with the purpose of colliding them. By afternoon on the opening day of the LHC, the beams had succesfully collided, setting a world record for the highest energy crash of subatomic particles. How they managed to aim subatomic particles with such precision that they would collide is beyond me, and is very impressive. They hope to use the data they recorded from the experiment to answer questions about predictions such as the Higgs particle, dark matter, and supersymmetry. However, according to one of the scientists this will take years to explain.

If you've heard about the fears that these high-energy collisions could cause a black hole that would swallow the world, ignore them. The odds of this happening are incredibly small. After googling for the exact probability of this happening I stumbled upon this lovely answer: "//about the same amount of chance that you will be struck on the head by a meteor that contains 17 winning lottery tickets inside. and then with those tickets, buying an array of fairies, elves, and dwarfs. and transporting all of them, on your flying dragon, to the superbowl game between the bears and the packers. after the game, you get struck several times in the face with lightening, attacked by a shark 8 times, and 4 planes land on your chest.//

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> //or about the same amount of chance that the LHC multiplies its current maximum power output by 10 trillion, which is what would need to happen for it to create a microblack hole (which crazies say is going to happen)// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">While that answer may not exactly be scientifically valid, I think you get the point.

References: Sanders, L. (2010, March 30). Lhc revs up. //ScienceNews//, Retrieved from http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/57786/title/LHC_revs_up

<span style="background-color: #808000; color: #ffff00; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">#4 - New analytical technique developed for finding "trace quantities of unknown substances". <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 80%;">The article: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/57401/title/Next_on_CSI_Surface-enhanced_Raman_spectroscopy_

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Seeing as how our ILF project is conducting an analysis to determine the concentration of chemicals in a variety of products, I thought this was an interesting article. Scientists have developed a new technique that will improve on one of science's most powerful analytical methods by allowing scientists to detect trace amounts of a material (some examples include explosives or drugs).

The aforementioned chemical analysis method is known as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Instead of placing a substance on a specially prepared surface and shining a laser on it, the new and improved technique places a "specialized light-concentrating surface" on top of the sample. The surface is made of incredibly small gold nanoparticles encased in a thin shell of silicon or aluminum. Now, when the laser strikes the gold nanoparticles, concentrated spots of energy are created between the surface of nanoparticles and the sample; these "hot spots" can be analyzed spectrographically.

I don't really understand exactly how this works, but I thought the article was interesting because it talks about improving on chemical analysis methods like the ones we'll be using in our ILF project.

References: Ehrenberg, R. (2010, March 18). Next On csi: surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy. //ScienceNews//, Retrieved from http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/57401/title/Next_on_CSI_Surface-enhanced_Raman_spectroscopy_

<span style="background-color: #461b1b; color: #8c3131; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 80%;">The article: []
 * 1) 3 - Study finds coffee lowers risk of stroke.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">For heavy coffee addicts like my parents, this is good news. A study carried out by the University of Cambridge, led by Epidemiologist Yangmei Li and her colleagues, suggests coffee drinkers are almost one-third less likely than those who don't drink coffee to develop a stroke. In fact it didn't even matter if the coffee was drip grind, decaffeinated or instant; they all produced the same results. The health records of more than 20,000 European men and women between the ages of 39 and 79 (not really sure why they wouldn't just pick 40 and 80...) were analyzed. At the time that they provided their lifestyle information for a health study in the mid- 1990's, all the people that were investigated were free of stroke history, heart disease, and cancer.

Taking into account factors like smoking, physical activity (in the article they actually say "physical activity, weight, physical activity), and blood pressure, it was found that coffee drinkers were only 71% as likely to have had a stroke as the people who avoided coffee. I found it surprising that the amount of coffee didn't affect the results; a person who drank 1 cup a day versus a person who drank 4 cups a day had the same benefits.

While they aren't exactly sure why the coffee seems to help prevent strokes, this is still an interesting discovery. So, go on over to Timmy's and get that double-double; it may save your life in the future.



References: Seppa, N. (2010, February 26). Coffee associated with lower stroke risk. //ScienceNews//, Retrieved from http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/56701/title/Coffee_associated_with_lower_stroke_risk

<span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">#2 - A simple way to cool down. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 80%;">The article: [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> While this isn't as much of a problem here in the Great White North, there are still some days in the summer when it's just too hot. The Urban Heat Island phenomenon, when urban cities have a noticeably higher temperature than their surrounding rural areas, has been observed since the 1800's. Cities with dark surfaces like on roads and rooftops can be as much as 3 °C hotter than areas around it. This is because the dark colors absorb and radiate heat much more than lighter colors.



A global simulation conducted at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, has shown that by simply painting rooftops with reflective, white paint, temperatures could decrease by an average of 0.6 °C. Unfortunately the simulation did not take into account that rooftops will get covered in dust, which would decrease the cooling effect. Still though, white roofs would at least look cooler, wouldn't they?

References: White roofs can cool cities. (2010, February 5). //NewScientist//, (2746), Retrieved from http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527464.600-white-roofs-can-cool-cities.html

<span style="background-color: #800080; color: #f70202; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 160%;">#1 - Cornstarch and water: How does it work? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">We all did this simple yet amusing experiment in class, but I wanted to find out how exactly the mixture of cornstarch and water could act like both a solid AND a liquid.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: left;">The mixture we made is known as a suspension, and is a non-Newtonian fluid. A suspension is a mixture of a substance that is finely dispersed throughout another substance. In this case, it's a solid dispersed in a liquid, almost like quicksand. Newton once stated that viscosity is a function of temperature. However, the cornstarch and water mixture's viscosity changes with pressure or force, so it is called a non-Newtonian fluid.

When we quickly jabbed our finger into the mixture, it acted like a solid. This happens because we forced starch molecules closer together, which traps water between the groups of starch to form a structure that acts like a liquid. As soon as we release the pressure of our finger, the mixture acts like a liquid and allows the cornstarch to flow. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">

Here's a clip of Ellen DeGeneres bringing a tub full of the mixture on her show: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amfjWWMg9c0) media type="youtube" key="amfjWWMg9c0" height="344" width="425"

References: Spangler, S. (n.d.). //Cornstarch science - quicksand goo//. Retrieved from http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000088